Remember Her
by antlermagick
Summary: Moony wakes up one morning after the full moon to find the love of his life tending to him, yet Remus has no idea who it is... Moony can't take it any longer he has to let him know. RLGW


Remember Her

Moony raised his heavy head lazily to watch the early morning light from the window above his head. It was dancing through the bars, and along the opposite wall. The opening in the door let in the smell of fresh morning dew that his keen nose sensed right away. His sensitive ears could hear the far off crunching outside as well, as if someone was nearing the wooden shack he laid in.

Blinking, he looked around. He was sitting with his back on the wall in a spacious one-room shack. He could see he was enclosed within a somewhat large cage as well.

He reached up to rub his throbbing head. He noticed his hands were unnaturally heavy, and clanking softly. Curiously, he glanced down. Both of his hands were in shackles, and chained to the wall behind him.

Vague images of the previous night abruptly flashed in his mind. His head swirled, last night had been a full moon.

An unexpected creak came from the door, and then slowly it opened. He looked back up again to see the back of a young woman with wavy crimson hair. He felt as if there was a small warm explosion in his chest, and a distant smile crept on to his weary face.

Moony watched intently as she sat down a fairly large wooden bowl, numerous rags, blankets, and a set of clothes on the shelves by the door. She then turned to fumble with a pair of bulky keys by the door of the cage.

"Ginny." His voice was a soft and scratchy as if it had been over used.

There was a resounding _clunk_ as she unlocked the door, "Good morning, Remus—" She turned back around to retrieve some of her belongings.

"Ginny." He said a bit louder yet still all the same raspy.

She walked into the encasement; careful she would not drop the any of the many things she needed. "Oh, Remus!" She said in a worried tone as she sat the bowl down on the floor. She had finally looked down at him. "Remus, this is awful! We took out some of the links in the chains so you couldn't do this to yourself!" She waved her hand towards him indicating his whole body.

For the first time, Moony really looked down at himself. His shirt had been torn off; his pants were tattered, and he was sure they used to be quite a few shades lighter than the dark toffee color they were now. On his chest he sported several clawed scraps and gashes, and on his lower legs (where his pants were frayed the most) were long vertical cuts...clearly he had used his back paws for those.

After he had surveyed them, he gazed back up at Ginny who was kneeling over the bowl; he saw that it was filled with some clear liquid, and she was rinsing the rags with it. The blankets were thrown behind her.

He cast a short glance back down at his body, and then gazed back to her again. "Battle wounds." He explained simply enough, with a grin on his face.

Ginny dropped her arms letting the wet cloths plunge back into the bowl. She stared at him, her mouth slightly open at his comment. She knew that wolfish smirk. This was not Remus, but then again she didn't really need his statement as conformation for that. His face was still slightly elongated somewhat as a snout would be, and his fingers still had their claws instead of human fingernails. The tops of his ears were pointy and barely poked out through his brown hair. And as Ginny looked into his face, she saw his eyes still glowed bright amber just as the moon does in the fall.

Sighing, she rung out one of the rags and stepped over the bowl to kneel beside him. The enthralling fragrance of her hit him hard as she leaned over to inspect one of the deeper cuts across his chest. If anything in the world could awaken him swiftly, this was it. Breathing deeply, he reached up to stroke her arm nearest to his, but she caught him first.

"Remus, we go through this every full moon." She spoke sternly griping his wrist. She laid the rag over the wound she had been examining, took his hand, and laid it on top of it. "Here now, hold this—"

"But-" He whimpered softly.

She did not answer, but stood to walk and retrieve more damp cloths. She returned on his other side to check three of the smaller cuts on his stomach. Her allure struck him again, harder than the time before. She was so close to him, he needed to touch her. He raised his leg opposite of her up to his chest and back down restlessly. He did this more than once, whimpering quietly each time.

She ignored him. "Hold these too." She said standing and going to fetch more.

She laid two oversized cloths across his lower legs as she returned. She then knelt again at side she first came to, and covered another gash on his side she hadn't seen before. She held it there for him; she moved her legs out from under her, so she could on the ground.

She felt him grow tense beside her, and she looked up from the rag. His eyes were tightly shut, and he had leaned back his head to rest on the wall behind him.

"It's a new potion Hermione suggested." She told him, "Sorry, if it hurts"

A grin immediately spread across his face, and he slowly lowered his head to look her in the face. "Love, I am immune to pain—"

Ginny rolled her eyes. She knew he was trying to act as if his condition didn't bother him the slightest. But, what was not bothering her anymore was that he was still calling her 'Love'. He had since the first time she had started caring for him on full moons.

"Why do you resist me?" his voice was rough sounding still.

As Ginny looked back up into his face, she saw his amber eyes gleaming with something she could only guess was determination.

Looking back down, she pretended to be seeing to his cut by adjusting the cloth drenched in the healing potion. "Because, Remus, I know it's just the wolf talking in you."

"How do you know it's _just the wolf_ talking?" And as if on queue, he grinned wolfishly again showing his sharp teeth.

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the situation. "Well, you still practically have a snout for a face"

"Oh!" His laugh sounded uncannily like a howl, "So now we are judging by the outside!" He narrowed his bright eyes at her playfully.

Ginny rolled her eyes again, still paying no attention to his comments. She stood up once more. "Here, give me those." she held out her hands as Moony handed her his two rags. She leaned down to pick up the other two on his legs, and headed back to the bowl. She laid the bloodstained ones aside, and picked up the remaining few. Placing them into bowl to soak, she turned back around to face him.

"Come on, Remus, now for the hard part" She said extending her hands again to him.

His eyes glittered once more at the invitation to touch her. Clanking in the heavy chains, he placed a still unnaturally large hand in each of hers, and folded his long aching legs to his chest. Ginny instantly leaned backward, while he leaned forward shifting his weight to his weak legs. In one swift motion, he was on his feet again. He stumbled forward, his chest leaning on Ginny's shoulder.

He knew he mustn't hurt her; she was so fragile and small compared to him now. Her scent filled his nostrils yet againâ€she was so close to him. He could feel her hair brushing against his cheek. He hoped his pupils weren't as dilated as he felt they were.

He lifted his heavy hands unhurriedly to her shoulders to linger on her longer, and she placed hers on his chest. Simultaneously, they both pushed, Ginny harder than him, so he could stand up right. He stumbled again backward, and caught Ginny's left forearm for his support. Right away she grabbed his right arm as well, so he wouldn't stagger further. They stood there in silence waiting too see he would falter again.

"All right?" Ginny finally asked.

He looked down at his feet clumsily placed below him, and nodded for he could feel the strength gradually flowing back into them. He unwillingly let go of her arms as she turned her back to him leaning over to the bowl.

Moony closed his eyes, turning his head away. Why did she have to lean over him like that?

Ginny wrung the excess potion from the cloths, and stepped over the bowl. She walked back over to the side she initially started on again.

"Excuse me—" she whispered as she slowly raised the hefty chain hanging between him and the wall behind him.

"Of course." he murmured, lifting his arm so she could walk around him. He could feel her softly touching his skin as she tended to his injuries, and he smirked evilly to himself. How easily he could turn around to trap her. He glanced down, but then again

"Love?" his voice was as gruff as ever.

Ginny smiled inwardly; he was hopeless. "Yes Remus?"

"What are these for?" She saw he was looked down at the manacles on his hands.

"Oh." Moony noticed her voice suddenly become somewhat dull sounding. "You broke one of the bars a few months ago. It concerned you so much, you installed these."

"Oh." Clearly they had had a disagreement on this topic in the past.

"I think it's inhumane, but you insisted it." She continued, "Yet another problem arose. Instead of trashing about the cage you—you well, do more of this kind of stuff to yourself." Ginny patted a gash on the back of his shoulder lightly. "We took out some of the links in the chains so they would be shorter, and you wouldn't have as much chance to scratch at yourself. Butâ€well, needless to say, that didn't work."

He cast around for another topic. "What about that potion—the wolfsbane one? Why don't I take that anymore?" He was gazing over his hurt shoulder at her.

She waited a moment before answering. "After Snape died at the end of the war—we couldn't find anyone else to make it." Ginny explained quietly, "Hermione's trying, but it is proving to be really difficult. Snape must have been an extremely talented potion's master."

"Oh" By the tone of her voice, he was apparently raising even more matters she did not desire to discuss.

Instead of thinking casting around for another topic again, he became aware have how close she was to him once more. He felt her gently cleaning a cut near his lower back.

"Love, do I pay you to do this?"

She snorted. "No Remus, you don't pay me."

"Then?"

"I do it because I care for you, and...well, you really need someone to." She added the last part as an after thought.

"Care for me? Then, why don't you give into me? You know I need a she-wolf" His voice sounded innocent, yet she could swear he was being serious.

She waited a few moments before answering again. "Does it really matter?" She forced a small laugh. "You won't remember any of this when you wake up from your nap."

"What?" He asked clearly startled. "I don't _remember_?" He watched her as she stooped under the chains, and back around in front of him again.

"Of course you don't, you never do." Ginny gathered all the bloody rags and slid then through a random opening in the bars by the door. She then picked up the bowl and left it by the door as well.

"I brought you some blankets this time, for when you take your nap" she said as she picked them up. She walked back over to him with them neatly folded over her arms. "Now let's see how this healing potion is working"

Moony was still taken aback by her previous comment. Did he really not remember his feelings for her when he awoke? He was now racking his brains trying to remember anything he could have forgotten about her. His head throbbed with pain.

"Look." she said smiling, and running her finger across the bottom of the deep cut on his chest. "This one has already stopped bleeding, and it is starting to close."

He reached up quickly stopping and holding her hand close to his body. "Have we ever kissed before?" he asked shivering pleasantly under her touch.

She stared up at him; he was nearly a head and a half taller than she was.

"No." she said softly, and gazed back down at the blankets in her arms. She tried to slip her hand from his grasp.

"Then," he tightened his grip and pulled her even closer to him. "if I don't remember, why don't you kiss meâ€just once?" His raspy voice spoke, and she couldn't tell if he was curiously asking or pleading with her.

Ginny had always thought of Remus as an awfully handsome man, even when she was younger. The idea of kissing him was very appealing to her indeedâ€what could it spoil? She shook the thoughts from her mind; she was not going to have feelings for one of her good friends, and definitely not for one of her ex-professors. That was absolutely absurd.

He could sense her body closer to his more than ever before. Was she not feeling the same itching desire? He was practically shaking with it. How many times now had he held back his irresistible craving for her? He couldn't take it any longer. Her scent, her young beautiful eyes, her long gorgeous hair, her tender touch, her willingness to help him when he was so vulnerable. Unable to control himself any longer, he leaned his head down sending his lips crashing into hers.

He kissed her delicately at first, but as she began to kiss him back he quickened his pace. The burning in his chest increased, and he without delay reached his other shackled hand under her hair and behind her neck.

She groaned softly as he did this. So she did feel something for him as well! At the notion his mouth smiled slightly over hers.

Ginny craned her head back from his; her eyes were still closed. "We shouldn't have done that." she whispered.

"But love, you felt it!" he said roughly, his face still close to hers as he held her in his arms. "I know you did"

She could feel his heavy breath on her face, and she opened her eyes. He was gazing down at her. His eyes were completely dilated and sparkling darkly rather than the brilliant amber they were. She knew he was waiting for her reaction.

He leaned forward brushing his lips against hers gently this time. "I know you did." he whispered again.

What had she gotten herself into? No she couldn't do this, and she was in danger. What was she thinking allowing herself to be taken up in the arms of a werewolf? She needed to back away slowly, so she wouldn't upset him into an unsought rash action. She wiggled her fingers from his for they were now intertwined with his long ones. She placed it along with her other one resting on his bare chest.

He let his hand trail from her neck, down her shoulder, and onto her arm. A far off smile played across his somewhat wolfish face, as he reached up to sweep away a strand of her vivid scarlet hair off her face.

Seeing her chance, she took a step back away from his slightly, and then another. "I'm sorry, Remus." she said quietly.

Her words rang in the silent morning air, and Moony was hit with a flash of confusion. "B-but, Ginny—"

Taking advantage of his uncertainty, she took several more paves backward. "I can't. _We_ can't"

"Ginny, love!" He leaned toward her reaching out his hand, but the shortened chain pulled tight around his wrist. He looked from his hands and back to Ginny who was just a few paces out of his reach.

He did not understand. He had held her so close in his arms, she had kissed him back freely, and now she was running away?

She set the blankets on the ground. "I'm sorry." she repeated again tenderly.

"No!" he growled, as he lunged forward. She knew he was trying to break his restrictions.

She quickly turned; she did not want to see Remus like this. She strode hastily over to the cage's door, and leaning down swept up the bowl in her arms. She could hear him struggling with the chains and whimpering as she turned the handle. However, a sudden loud, piercing, yet somehow mournful howl form behind her drowned the noise of the creaking iron door out.

"Ginny!" he snarled again as she turned the bulky key in its lock. She caught his gaze, full of sorrow, before he started ripping at the iron clamps again. She started rummaging through her pockets with her free hand, and extracting her wand she waved it at him unlocking his chains. Not wanting to see those sad eyes again, she turned to promptly step out the door, and leave him for his nap.

She heard him claws scuffling across the old wooden floorboards as he rushed to the barred door. "Ginny, stop!"

She was had one foot over the threshold.

"Stop!" He rattled the bars of the door loudly as he growled furiously.

Did he really think that she wanted to leave him this way? She made sure her watery eyes weren't trailing tears, and turned side ways in the doorframe to look back at him.

He was standing so his face was peering through an opening in the old rusty bars. "You said," he reached one of his arms through the bars, "I won't remember you—" His eyes were soft, showing no signs of the rage he had just expressed, and somewhat watery as well. "Love, I want to remember"

Ginny's throat clenched together. "Maybe it's best you forget," she whispered. She couldn't believe she was saying this, but she was right...it was for the best.

He looked shocked. "No," he breathed. "No! I won't let this happen!" His gruff voice grew louder. "You felt it too! What's wrong with you? Am I like this when I wake up? Do I just suppress the feelings too?"

Ginny blinked. "I-I don't know—" In truth, she really didn't. Did Remus really care for her this way?

"So we both feel something for each other, and we are just going to go on living like none of it exists?" he snarled.

Of course she didn't want to go one living like that. "Sometimes it's better that way." She could feel the tears begin to swell in her eyes. She glanced down to the shelves where she had left his new set of clothes, and saw the bottom of his wand sticking out under his shirt. Good, she hadn't forgotten it. Now when she left there was no reason for her to come back until next full moon. "It's time for you to rest now"

She turned herself back to him one last time to close the door. His shouts of fury started right away again as the wooden door shut. Turning, she began at a quicken pace back up the dirt path through the woods, and back to Remus's house...his mournful howls still echoing though the trees.

Ginny set the frying pan on the stove and lit a small fire under it with her wand. It had been close near to two hours since she had left Remus for his nap, and he would be walking through the back door any minute now. What was she thinking? She hadn't even started cooking his breakfast yet.

In truth, she was still a bit shaken with her last encounter with him. Her mind had been racing ever since she left that bloody shack. She was a complete idiot. How could she let a thing like this happen? How many times had Remus stressed to her not to give him any reason to experience strong emotion while he was still half-wolf? She literally was lucky to be alive, but he wouldn't really remember, would he? Of course he wouldn't. He never recalls the early morning moments she spends with him, but what if he became suspicious? What if he began to ask questions? How would she explain to him what he was like when he was a wolf? She must act natural, like it is any other day after a full moon between them. The time was approaching to when it was probable for him to arrive, and she could feel herself becoming even more nervous.

She knew she cared for Remus, but

She laughed to herself; she remembered the first time he had asked anyone in the Order if they would help him during the full moon. He was so shy and sure everyone was unwilling to help. Yet she had volunteered, gladly pushing aside her mother's wishes. Remus had been her friend for years, he needed help and she was going to give it to him.

She flipped the bacon that was sizzling merrily in the pan. She was so lost in thought she didn't even remember placing it there.

She had been helping him a bit more than usual these past few months. The members of the Order used to take a turn every full moon while she was school to tend to his needs. She had now taken on the responsibly for herself since the war ended a few years ago, but...why? Why had she done it? She couldn't even answer that question. It was true at first she felt horrible for him, but it seemed to her that the more time they spent together the more he grew on her. She had known him for so long, was it true she was falling in love with him?

'_No_,' she told herself as she tipped over the pan of bacon onto a plate; everything about the situation screamed forbiddance. Yet, it could be possible, couldn't? She cursed herself. She knew in a corner of her heart she wished he would walk through that door take her up in his arms again remembering everything about the past few hours.

She tied the bread bag back closed, and shoved the two slices she had into an old toaster oven. Remus always liked food cooked the muggle way for some reason, but it was a bit easier she had to admit. It was better than having to control all the food at once with just a wand.

Just then, the back door's handle turned.

'_Merlin! No, I am not ready! Okay, act natural—just get him his coffee._' She rushed over to an antique coffee maker, and poured some of the steaming substance into his mug.

"G' morning, Gin." he said lazily as she turned and sat his cup in front of his usual place at the counter. He set a pile of bloody rags in the chair beside him as he took his seat on one of the stools at the kitchen bar. "You forgot these"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Remus!" She slapped herself mentally. "You didn't have to carry them all the way up here, I could've—"

His hazel eyes, strangely warm against the paleness of his skin, were smiling lightly. He waved his hand at her to quiet. "It's okay, really. I didn't mind. It's just—why did you forget them?"

She turned herself back to the stove. "Oh, I guess my mind was somewhere else, that's all." They had to stop talking about the earlier this morning. She cast around for another topic. "How would you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled...hard—like always." It could have been her, but his weary voice sounded a bit suspicious.

She was panicking, so as quietly as she could she took a deep breath. She had to act ordinary.

"Oh, and Gin can you—"

She picked up the cream, turned around, and slid it down the counter to him. She looked up and caught his eye, smirking.

He returned it with another warm smile. "Thank you." He proceeded to make his coffee fit for his liking while Ginny continued with his eggs. She was silent so Remus could enjoy his steaming drink in peace.

'_Merlin,_ _I hope I am acting normal_' She waited till he had a few more swallows, and then asked, "Wellâ€how did the healing potion work?"

"Oh." He set down his mug, and reached down to unbutton the first few clasps of his shirt. He opened it so she could see his bare chest where the large gash used to be. The only thing left was a reddish tint where the hint of a scar was forming. "It works rather well." He laughed softly, "not that I had any doubt in Hermione at all"

Ginny sighed. "She's too smart for her own good." She emptied his scrambled eggs onto a plate. Good, they were finally having ordinary conversation. Maybe he wasn't going to remember after all! She was pleased at first, but the more the thought settled the more she felt a heavy regretful feeling grow deep in her chest somewhere.

There was a moment of silence as Remus sipped on his coffee again. "Oh, Gin...er," his soft voice came kindly. "There's something that I have to ask you."

She froze, all of her uncertainty flowing back into her. He sounded serious.

"Yes." she answered, making sure she sounded as if she was a little curious. She started to fix his plate once more: she took the toast, bacon, and arranged them around with the eggs.

He began again. "Well, I woke up this morning withâ€er—this feeling." He spoke carefully, "It was like a hint of longing, or pining you could say. But...it was like I was missing something highly important."

Ginny turned around to sit his breakfast on the counter all the while pretending to be listening intently, when really on the inside she was screaming with fright. Was it possible that he could distantly remember strong rushes of emotion?

"And then, well I felt this in my hand" He held up a rock with a jagged sharp edge to it as she pushed the dish closer to him.

She narrowed her eyes as if to show concern.

"And on the ground was a message." He continued, "Itâ€ it was carved into the floor." Her breath caught in her throat. "You know what it said, Ginny?"

She wasn't sure if his face was worried or just tired. "No—" she breathed.

Looking down, he fingered the rock. "It said: _Remember Her_. Do you...do you have any idea what it means?"

'_This can't be happening_'

She shook her head indicating she was clueless. "No." was the only word she could manage to whisper.

His gaze was intense as he looked back up at her. "You have no idea?"

She turned to avoid his eyes, and to make herself her own cup of coffee. "None at all. It is very str-"

"Are you sure?" he cut her off in mid sentence.

Why was he was still asking questions? Hadn't she already told him she didn't know? And, in her frustration she said rather haughtily, "Yes, of course I am!"

A peculiar silence fell between them, and the only noise that filled the air was the clinking of her spoon as she began to stir sugar into her mug. Ginny knew she shouldn't have used that tone of voice, but she recognized it was the most feasible way to bring his inquires to an end. At the same time she also knew it made her look even more like she was guilty of hiding something, and for that she scolded herself. How was she supposed to turn and face him now?

Suddenly, he spoke again. "Co—"

"I told you I didn't know anything, Remus," It was Ginny's turn to cut him off. She focused on the swirling brown color of her drink.

"I was just going to ask if you could give me a fork," he said quietly.

Why was she being so short with him? It was that Weasley temper, and she knew it. But, it was not like her at all to speak to him this way. She tugged on drawer beside her and pulled out a fork. Closing it, she turned herself back to him to give him it.

Remus felt an odd icy feeling wash over him. What had he done to her this morning to make her react this way? He couldn't have harmed her, could he? He felt the same wave of feeling wash over him once more, and this time he knew it was fear. If he had hurt her, he would never forgive himself.

He took the fork and stared down at his plate. "Ginny—" he started apprehensively, but was unexpectedly stopped when her mug shattered into numerous pieces falling to the floor.

Jumping, he quickly looked back up at her, and saw her staring down at the cup's unbroken handle still in her hand. Clearly, she was stunned.

Remus breathed deeply as he stood up from his stool to walk around the counter to her. She was already leaning down, and patting the floor dry with napkins when he joined her. He began picking up some the greater bits of the mug.

"I know are frustrated for some reason, but you have to know what the message means—" He could hear his own voice growing steadily annoyed.

"I told you, I didn't know—" Ginny made sure that she focused on the spilt coffee at her feet.

"Oh, come off it, Ginny!" He stood up raising his voice, "You are the only '_her_' I have ever come across as a wolf! Listen, I don't know what I am like or what do when I am Moony, but if I injured you in any way then—"

"Injured me?!" She whipped her head up to finally gaze at him in the face. It was still lightly pale, yet his hazel eyes burned with a mix of emotions she could not decipher. "What in the bloody hell makes you think that you injured me?"

He slammed his hand down on the counter top. "Why else would you be acting the way you are now?"

This wasn't like Remus to raise his voice either. Had she really pushed him to this? She stood up facing the counter, and still did not looking him directly in the eye.

"Well, the reason is obviously escaping you now, so don't worry about it!" her voice measured his.

"Well, you _obviously_ know, so why won't you just—" he fumed.

"Fine!" she shouted finally. "Fine, I'll tell you," She lowered her voice considerably as she looked down at her hands. "But only if we promise to be mature about the situation, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed softly, yet there was still a hint of sternness left over in his voice from before.

She was silent for what felt like eternally as Remus waited for her explanation. She would've been shaking with anxiety at this point, but thankfully her subsiding anger hid it well.

"All right," she said at last. "all right, we—we kissed, okay?" Her anger couldn't hide the uneasy tone of her voice.

Evidently Remus was speechless, and finally, after a few quiet moments, the thought sunk in completely.

"We, we—_what_?" He was certainly not expecting this as the reason. "How many times have I told you not to give me any reason to experience strong emotions when I am Moony? Ginny, do you know how much jeopardy you put yourself in? I could've" He inwardly shuttered at the idea of what he could've done to her.

"Jeopardy _I_ put myself in?" She turned her head to face and gape at him. "More like the jeopardy _you_ put me in!"

"What?" He was bewildered.

"Do you not think that resisted? You practically begged me to kiss you! You have since the first time I ever met you as a wolf!"

"What?" He was taken aback. "I have?" This wasn't making any sense, or did it? Slowly he felt a realization creep into his head.

"So...so that explains the unsettling dreams and meaningless poetry." he muttered to himself.

"Unsettling...wait, _what_?" it was Ginny who was now confused.

He couldn't help but grin. He wasn't going crazy after all! He hastily ambled back around the counter, and into the small living room as fast as his sore body could take him.

She followed him. "Wait, Remus you should sit down!" she said as she watched him limp around the undersized sofa and to the coffee table.

"No, I have to show you!"

She was sure she heard a hint of laughter in his voice. Walking around the other side of the sofa to face him from the front, she saw him shifting through the many piles of books that sat on the short table.

"What are you doing?"

"Here." he said as he picked up a small brown leather bound book. He started flipping through the pages like mad.

"Here, come on, sit down." she placed her hand on his should, and tried to guide him to sit on the couch behind him.

He fell freely back on the sofa with a soft _thump_, but he didn't seem to notice for he still was staring at his book. She sat down beside him, curling her feet underneath her.

"Here it is! Look!" He handed her the little leather book opened up to some random page.

She took it, and saw that it had his handwriting on it.

"All this time I thought I was going to mental," he explained. "But now, now it all makes sense! It has been bothering me for the longest time."

"Wha—?"

He held up a hand to prevent her questionings. "Just read it!"

She looked back down at the book in her hands, and read the first lines at the top of the page:

_Beautiful forest_

_With tress of crimson._

_Lonely, yet there you are._

_I long to run, and_

_Be free with you._

_You're really not that far._

"You wrote that?" His verses were very moving, but this wasn't making any sense to her. Remus wrote poetry?

"Yeah."

She gazed back up at him.

"I have a ton more like that one." his eyes were warmly smiling at her again. "I would sit down, and they would just pour out of me. I had no idea what they meant until, well...until now. Moony apparently has been trying to get this point across for a while. It's nice feeling to know I am not mad." He leaned his head back to rest on the couch.

He might be feeling nice, but Ginny wasn't still all that comfortable. She was touched of course, but still not as at ease as he was letting on.

"_Beautiful forest_" she repeated aloud to herself.

"_With trees of crimson_." he finished. "Yeah, funny how you are my muse, and I didn't even know it, isn't it?"

"Yeah, funny." she smiled at him. She flipped through the book seeing how much more poems there were. After a few moments she sighed and said, "So, what about your dreams?"

"Huh?" he lifted his head, and she saw his grin was now wiped off his face. "Oh—er, well see"

She could see some color creep back into his cheeks, and bit back hard trying to keep from laughing. "Remus!"

"Is it just me, or did we promise we were going to be mature about this whole matter?" He was looking pointedly at her now.

She couldn't help the impish grin that was now on her lips. "I have a right to know as much as you, don't I?"

"Well, I don't think you do"

Ginny noticed he was looking at anything but her, so she scooted closer to him. Leaning forward, she tried to make him look at her again. "Oh, come on! Tell me!"

"Do not ask me to explain my subconscious meanderings, Ginerva—"

"Please!"

"You're being immature—" he tried to point out.

"Please!" her curiosity was relentless.

He talked slowly. "Well, er...sometimes we would talk for hours," he looked away from her again. "And, other times we would" He cleared his throat.

"Remus Lupin!" she gasped unnecessarily loud.

He rolled his eyes. "You've mortified meâ€are you happy now?" He was completely blushing.

She didn't answer, but just sat there with a satisfied smile plastered on her face.

He finally turned his head back to her to see her grinning wildly, and he sighed. "You didn't keep up your side of the promise."

Her smirk faded a little. It was true. She hadn't kept her end of the deal as he had

"Oh, I'm sorry, Remus." she apologized. "I was only having a spot of fun, you

know?"

"Yeah, fun" he mumbled.

"Oh, don't be that way." She waved off his comment with her hand. "You're cute when you blush—" '_Merlin, I did not just say that!_' Now this is how they used to talk, like friends joking around with each other now and then. Only, she knew times were going to be different with the state of affairs between them now, and maybe jokes like these would not be taken like they usually were.

He smiled warmly at her again, and patted her on the hand. "Thank you, Ginny. Now, I think I'll go and finish my breakfast. I wouldn't want all your hard work gone to waste."

He began to stand up, but grabbed his arm. "Wait, don't you- don't you want to know what it feels like?" She wasn't sure what was behind the drive in her words. It could have been the way they had kissed this morning but she was longing for a taste, or could she have some newly revealed hidden desire for him now that she knew couldn't help his fantasizing about her?

"What?" Remus was a tad startled.

Even though she wasn't showing it, she was nervous and jittery inside at what she was doing, and she repeated, "Don't you want to know what it really feels like?"

Merlin, she wasn't inviting him to kiss her, was she? When was the last time he had kissed a woman? It had been a good long time, indeed. He shouldn't be even considering this thought. He had watched this girl practically grow up! No, she wasn't a girl anymore he noticed. He had to admit, the way she looked this morning was very tempting. With a sudden rush, all of the memories of his dreams flashed in his mind's eye, and with that he was persuaded.

"Alright—" He sat back down closer to her than he had been before, a smirk played at his mouth. "Show me."

He closed his eyes as she tilted forward even more until their lips lightly brushed together. He kissed her shyly and softly, and Ginny knew this wasn't the same Remus she had kissed this morning. She kissed him again, this time licking his lower lip, and willing him to open his mouth further. As he did slowly, she promptly slid her tongue inside, but she knew she should make him linger a bit longer. So, she pulled herself back out causing him to groan. Then leaning her head to a different angle, she began work on his lower lip again. Only when she bit him gently is when he suddenly pulled back.

"Ginny!" he said in an air of surprise.

"What?" She looked innocent enough, "We kissed like this earlier this morning"

He blinked. "We did?"

"Actually no, more like this" She smiled as she leaned into him again giving him a quick and passionate kiss this time.

"More like that," she said softly as she pulled away.

"Love, you really feel something too, don't you?" his whispered.

And just then, as she opened her eyes to gaze at him, Ginny swore she saw a glint of amber flash in Remus's warm hazel eyes.


End file.
